News in English     | 09.12.2019. 10:06 |

Tegeltija: We will annul certain appointments in state agencies

FENA Dušica Stanojević

BANJA LUKA, December 9 (FENA) - Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zoran Tegeltija announced in an interview with FENA and SRNA that certain appointment procedures for officials in state agencies will be annulled if irregularities are identified, and that he is ready to raise the issue of introducing differential VAT rate on certain products, if both entities agree.

Issues that will need to be addressed immediately after the BiH Council of Ministers is completed, which is expected on December 18 or 23, will include staffing solutions, especially in the security sector, but also in some important agencies and institutions. Tegeltija pointed out that in some agencies and institutions mandates for directors have been extended beyond legal solutions, which will be analyzed.

There are currently about 20 appointments in various stages that should be completed by the Council of Ministers, if the legal procedure is followed.

“A number of application procedures are ongoing and after the Council of Ministers is constituted, an analysis must be made as to whether these procedures were carried out within deadline and in accordance with political agreements. After this, candidates, for whom the procedures have been followed, will be nominated or application procedures will be canceled due to identified irregularities,” said Tegeltija.

He stressed that only with the aim of unburdening the economy and reducing the cumulative contribution rate can be said that VAT rate will increase if it is part of a "common entity story".

“Cumulative contribution rate should, first and foremost, lead to a lower burden, an increase in salaries of all employees and a shift in this direction,” he explained.

VAT cannot be changed in any way unless, as he reminds, there is no consensus in BiH, which is currently the case.

“At this point it is evident that the VAT Law is in a form that does not define either the introduction of a differential rate or an increase in the VAT rate, and this is a document that is being discussed. If there is willingness in the entities, I am ready to raise the issue of the complete VAT Law and the differential rate, as well as how to resolve it with the Income Tax Law and Law on Contributions,” said Tegeltija.

The process of consultation with political parties on candidates for ministers in the Council of Ministers has begun on December 6, in line with the previously agreed distribution of functions. Tegeltija believes that this process should end today or tomorrow, in order to submit the names of the candidates by December 11 for background check procedure to the Central Election Commission (CEC) and the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) of BiH, after the decision on their appointment.

“The consultation process is going in the right direction, and the only problem is that we are limited in time if we want to finish it by the end of this year. Holidays are coming and if we do not work quickly, it may be possible to postpone the final formation of the Council of Ministers to 2020,” he added.

However, he hopes to be able to propose to BiH parliamentarians the names of nine ministers and ten of their deputies in the new Council of Ministers on December 18 or 23.

Tegeltija recalls that little time is left to adopt the budget of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and BiH's international commitments for 2020 by the end of this year. It is realistic to expect that, if the Council of Ministers of BiH is elected by the end of this year, a budget for 2020 will be adopted in the first quarter. The amount of budget will depend on the Global Fiscal Framework established by the Fiscal Council of BiH.

He will initiate a meeting with the entity prime ministers before the BiH Council of Ministers is elected to define the most important priorities for joint action.

“We will not reduce discussions between representatives of the entity governments and the Council of Ministers, as well as our personal meetings to protocol issues, but we will try to confirm solutions that are already prepared. We have too many excuses in this country for something not to be done and we need more agreement,” said BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Zoran Tegeltija in an interview with FENA and SRNA agencies.

He stated that everyone interprets the report of German legal expert Reinhard Priebe in their own way. The experts’ findings pointed to a series of deeply concerning rule of law deficiencies in BiH. Tegeltija recalls that domestic experts also state that they are not surprised by what was highlighted in that document.

“The BiH Council of Ministers will, in accordance with its authority, propose legal solutions in this field that are in line with European standards, some of which have been in the preparation phase for a long time,” said Tegeltija, adding that judicial reform requires the consent of both entities.

He also advocates economic cooperation with neighboring countries, as well as resolving open issues with mutual readiness, especially when it comes to border, which is of vital importance for residents in border municipalities.

Lately, he claims, there have also been unnecessary political statements that have not contributed to good neighborly relations.

“Some of these statements probably have their background in internal relations or electoral processes in those countries. Both sides had wrong moves, which did not contribute to addressing these issues,” he said.

In addition to the open issues, the problem arose due to the announcement of the disposal of radioactive waste on Trgovska gora, in the immediate vicinity of the BiH border.

“The role of the BiH Presidency is important here and we will try to protect BiH from this danger,” he said.

The issue of border with Croatia or Serbia has become a political issue, although it makes life difficult for ordinary people every day, said Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, citing the example of Rudo residents.

He is not surprised that SDS and PDP MPs did not vote in the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, because, as he says, he would not vote for them either, since they see the position of both RS and BiH in different ways.

“But in no way would I try to disrespect them, because it was important that, after eight years, a candidate from RS comes to this position as a nominee of the party that is an election winner,” Tegeltija said, stating that if it was reverse, he would abstain from voting.

He says he will be on an equal footing with other members of the Council of Ministers, and that institution should be partner with everyone who has responsibility for economic growth and the overall state of society in BiH, said BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Zoran Tegeltija. 

(FENA) A. B.

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